Modi 3.0 Council of Ministers: 72 Members, 9 Short of Maximum Limit

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th June. The third term of the Modi government commenced with the swearing-in of a 72-member Council of Ministers on Sunday, falling just nine short of the maximum permissible strength of 81. This number also marks a decrease of six ministers compared to the previous term, which had a maximum of 78 ministers between 2019 and 2024.

While the Modi government had reached its peak strength of 78 ministers in 2021 after an expansion, the outgoing council of ministers consisted of 72 members, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the current lineup, the BJP-led NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi comprises a maximum of 31 cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister himself, along with five Ministers of State (with Independent Charge), and 36 Ministers of State. In contrast, the outgoing Modi government 2.0 comprised 71 ministers, consisting of 26 Cabinet ministers, three Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 42 Ministers of State.

During the July 2021 cabinet expansion, the maximum number of ministers reached 78, with 30 cabinet ministers, two Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 45 Ministers of State.

The permissible strength of the Council of Ministers stands at 81, including the Prime Minister, which accounts for 15 percent of the total Lok Sabha strength of 543 members. In May 2019, 57 ministers were sworn in, including 24 cabinet ministers, nine Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 24 Ministers of State.

Reflecting on previous terms, Prime Minister Modi’s first term in May 2014 comprised 46 ministers, including 24 cabinet ministers, 10 Ministers of State (Independent Charge), and 12 Ministers of State. Similarly, the Manmohan Singh government in May 2009 reached a maximum strength of 79 ministers, including the Prime Minister, during both UPA-1 and UPA-2 terms. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999 had a total of 74 ministers.